Hugh Butler Lake

Name: Hugh Butler Lake (Nebraska) water level
Creator: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Nebraska · Reclamation gauge

Grey bar: 12-month range 2,564.6–2,566.1 ft.

Water level · NAVD88

2,564.62FT

Storage 14,370 acre-feet

The source publishes no % full figure.

7 days −0.09 ft30 days −0.07 ftvs last year −0.62 ft

Reading for Oct 24, 2026 · page refreshed Oct 25, 21:16 UTC
Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE)

Worth going today?This Afternoon

Windy or wet – use caution

Light wind, 91% chance of rain

Wind5 to 10 mph

Rain91%

Temp56°F

Level2,564.6 ft

This AfternoonRain Showers · 56°F
E 5 to 10 mph · rain 91%

TonightShowers And Thunderstorms · 46°F
E 10 mph · rain 97%

NWS forecast for the gauge location. Good = wind ≤ 10 mph and rain ≤ 30%; storms are flagged. Not safety advice – check local conditions, closures and warnings.

Level history

30 days1 year

Field notes

On Oct 24, 2026, Hugh Butler Lake was at 2,564.62 (NAVD88) ft.

Reclamation reports storage of 14,370 acre-feet for the same day.

Over the past 7 days the lake has been falling (−0.09 ft), and it is −0.07 ft over 30 days.

Compared with a year ago (2,565.24 ft), the lake is 0.62 ft lower.

Readings come from the Bureau of Reclamation's daily reservoir data for Hugh Butler Lake and Red Willow Dam.

Lake facts

Storage (latest)	14,370 acre-feet
Gauge / station	Hugh Butler Lake and Red Willow Dam
Elevation datum	ft (NAVD88)
Gauge location	40.3575, -100.6672

Nearby lakes

Harry Strunk Lake24 mi E2,354.77 ft+0.39 ft Swanson Lake24 mi SW2,734.10 ft+0.02 ft Enders Reservoir45 mi W · MT3,080.06 ft−0.03 ft Keith Sebelius Lake54 mi SE · KS2,288.87 ft−0.06 ft Harlan County Lake79 mi E1,932.81 ft+0.03 ft

Common questions

Is Hugh Butler Lake rising or falling?

Over the last 7 days it changed −0.09 ft and over 30 days −0.07 ft.

How full is Hugh Butler Lake?

Reclamation publishes the water surface elevation for this gauge but not a percent-full figure, so we don't show one rather than estimate it.

How often is this page updated?

The page is rebuilt automatically every day from Reclamation's published data. Values can be revised later by the source agency.

Where does the data come from?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's RISE data portal (data.usbr.gov). Forecasts come from the National Weather Service.

Daily values published by the Bureau of Reclamation. Reclamation data are provisional and subject to revision unless otherwise noted. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Bureau of Reclamation. See data sources.